During an interview with NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Portland Trail Blazers superstar point guard Damian Lillard said he tries not to be a part of the player empowerment era.
“I don’t take a stance of power, I guess,” Lillard said. “If they ask me something, I’ll give them the answer. I’ll tell them what I really think. I’m not in there trying to make a decision or anything like that. I do my job. If something’s presented to me or a question is asked to me, I give an honest answer. I try not to be a part of the player empowerment because we’ve seen enough situations where guys who were at their peak and at the top of their game had that power and influence, and when they weren’t at that level anymore or the back end, people remember that.
“They’ll remember how you used that power and how you leveraged that power. It could determine how you go out. It can affect you towards the end of your career when you might feel disrespected or dealt with in a way that doesn’t represent the kind of career you had.”
The Blazers have the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Multiple reports have stated that Lillard wants the franchise to trade the pick for a star player.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
However, it sounds like the future Hall of Famer doesn’t tell his bosses what to do.
“I think in this era, you’ve got to be careful how you handle that position,” Lillard said. “I think we’ve seen cases where people have handled it in a way that wasn’t the best for them. Hopefully we learned from that.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Lillard has spent his entire career with the Blazers. The seven-time All-Star has career averages of 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Dame has never requested a trade from Portland and it appears he may not do that this offseason either.
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